How do these hearts unfold?
by ToMoYo FaNeL
Summary: 5times. Pre-slash MadHook. Jefferson felt like he lived many different lives in many different realms. As he changed in every point in his lifetime, there was this man who did the same, going in the opposite direction.
1. The Song of the Unloved Hatter

**Title:** How Do These Hearts Unfold?

**Fandom:** Once Upon A Time

**Pairing:** MadHook (Killian/Jefferson)

**Genre:** 5times, humor, timeline.

**Summary:** Jefferson felt like he lived many different lives in many different realms. As he changed in every point in his lifetime, there was this man who did the same, going in the opposite direction.

**Disclamer:** I don't own OUAT, I only miss Sebastian Stan and Jefferson and dream about a Jefferson/Killian meeting.

**Notes: **

- **5times** when Jefferson met Hook.

- It was meant to be 5ficlets but I was inspired…

- Based on **"How Do These Hearts Unfold"** by Raised by Swans.

**How Do These Hearts Unfold?**

**01. **_They dreamt about freedom, about being young forever. Killian had a pure heart no grownups never destroyed as Jefferson's one was eaten by the bitterness of not being loved. _

It was his birthday. Jefferson usually didn't like this day because no one ever was in the castle to say _"Happy Birthday Jefferson"._ It was _"Happy Birthday young master"_ when the servants remembered it. However, his father made an exception this particular day. Not that he told him _"Happy Birthday Jefferson"_ but the intention was there when he said "You are wiser now, huh?" The old man eyed Anna, his nursemaid, with a skeptical look, and then turned to his son again. "I've been told you've been a responsible child lately—"

"I'm not a child anymore, father." Jefferson corrected him with a fierce indignation. He regretted it as soon as the words came out. Fortunately, his father seemed in a good mood enough to not correct _him_.

"Anna said you brilliantly carry out your duties and that you excel in history and geography, two important matters for people like us." The compliment was so unexpected that Jefferson forgot to thank him. The old man didn't pay attention to his reaction anyway. He kept on his track with boredom in the voice as if he said this kind of things every day. He didn't. "It's a good thing because today is the day when you receive your inheritance." He paused and made a sign to the nursemaid who stepped in the room again with a hatbox in her hands. Jefferson didn't notice she left. He watched her every move, apprehending what would happen next, fearing she would disappear with the precious object if he didn't.

He knew, he heard of it, but never dreamt of the legacy he knew would be his. His sixteenth birthday. He was pretty sure the right age was eighteen but he wouldn't say anything, too afraid his father would realize his mistake.

As Jefferson stayed silent Anna cleared her throat. He gulped and whispered something like a light _"thank you, father"_. His eyes embraced the shape of the box. He was fascinated by the sound of the leather when his nursemaid opened it. Then, the Hat was there. The most marvelous thing he ever heard of.

His father spoke again but Jefferson didn't really pay attention. He felt the magic for the first time in his life, the Hat called him and it was like it said his name. It said _"Happy Birthday Jefferson"_ and nothing in the world could ever charm him like this.

"This object will show you some wonders."

He would never doubt of this statement.

"Use it carefully and it won't be a burden."

The Hat could travel between time and space. He never expected his father to give him such a gift for his sixteenth birthday but who was he to complain? He was so excited he spent the rest of the day running in the forest. He couldn't try it right now, without a tutor with him. He was so impatient he couldn't breathe when he stayed still in the castle, between heavy walls.

"What does it mean _between time and space_?" Jefferson asked his nurse. The young woman sighed and leaned into his space. He liked it every time she did. She might be stern sometimes but she still had a gorgeous chest.

She whined and cleaned his dirty face with a tissue. "I guess it is yours to figure out." Her gesture was so vigorous it prickled. He tried to step away, which annoyed her. "Stop being childish. You are so scruffy again! Where did you play this time, huh?" He shrugged and she sighed like every time he did. Yet, this time was different because she didn't leave him to it. "You're sixteen now and you carry your family legacy. You can't go in all the dirty places like a savage. You're a gentleman for good sake. Someday, you'll be as esteemed as your father. A lot of people will come to you and please you for benefiting your gift."

Jefferson wanted the hat, the money, the respect, all of these things people never stopped promising to him. However, he couldn't stand it when they forced him into boredom. A gentleman can he not enjoy himself?

"It sounds really appealing, indeed." He says deadpan.

Anna shook her head before she stood straight and made him whirl but he faced her again. "Now go take a bath before anyone sees how unruly you really are." Jefferson didn't move, more to see the annoyed frown on her face than because he didn't want to bath. "You! Impossible child!" She made him turn again but pushed him forward this time.

He laughed. "You love how impossible I can be." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes. When he would be older, he would seduce her. It could definitely be helpful.

As expected, the ball was boring. He never liked the pretense, people with an inflated sense of their own importance and the girls who girly giggled because he looked at them. These girls were all the same, he wouldn't ever land his eyes to their kind. Girls and obligations, two things he hated. Beside Anna, he always ignored women when they gesticulated in front of him. He loved the curves of their body, the roundness of their chest, the scent of their neck, the curls in their hair and the kiss in the corner of their lips. He still couldn't stand them more than one hour. The last time he played with a girl, the fragile child slowed him in his adventure. He wanted it. An adventure with no woman in his life. He wanted to be a hero. He wanted to be free. Forever. He would be free once he would use the Hat. He hated these walls. The castle was luminous but there was nothing in it but mirrors. The light was outside and the mirrors in the walls tried to trick him with their reflection. He didn't believe in the mirrors. He wanted to feel the real sunlight. The castle was stifling. The air was faked. He believed in something else. He wanted to be something else himself. Nothing was real here. _He_ wasn't real _here_.

"What are you doing?"

Jefferson stood straight as soon as he heard a reproach in his father's voice. "Nothing, father." The old man groaned. He _did_ nothing.

"That is my point, Jefferson." And he only said his name when he was disappointed. "Why are you not dancing with one of our guests?" Jefferson suffocated. He forced a smile in apology and nodded. He was about to walk to the group of giggling girls when his father stopped him. "You will dance later. I have someone for you to meet." The boy raised one eyebrow. He was sure his father wasn't proud enough to introduce him to anyone. He felt warmth inside of his chest. What if his father was proud of him after all these years waiting for his approval?

Jefferson didn't have time to enjoy the feeling; a man, the skin like a crocodile, went into his personal space and stared at him curiously, judging him with a skeptical look. He knew this man. He spent most of his time in the castle like he owned the place. Anna gave him to understand that he kind of did. The man made Jefferson so uncomfortable he was about to say something when he reminds himself that his father would probably slap him for his rudeness. That was before the crocodile touched his cheek. His jaw fell but one finger went in the cavity, slid on his tongue and disappeared into the unusual man's mouth. Jefferson went still, disgusting by the move but appealing by the taste. The idea nearly made him shock. Then he recognized it.

_Magic._

"Hmm! Oh boy, I was wrong, you're quite talented." His voice was a song of promises.

"Ahem." Jefferson looked his father in a naked expression of choc. "Rumplestilskin will be your tutor."

Jefferson forgot all about keeping a gentleman attitude and went for a childish one "What?" because he expected – hoped – that his father would be the one teaching him how to use the Hat. "You were supposed to—"

"Don't make a scene, Jefferson. Rumplestilskin is our most valuable friend in all the land. You must be grateful."

"That's alright! The boy will be a good apprentice as you told me he will be."

Jefferson took a deep breath and focused on keeping it low. The betrayal made his blood boil. "It will be an honor to be your apprentice, Sir."

"So polite. So charming. So…" He licked his lips "_powerful_."

The Crocodile smirked. He looked elsewhere for a moment and asked to be excused. His father glared at him and left the ballroom. Jefferson didn't understand. He wanted to understand, he was older enough to.

"Father!"

"What are you yelling in the corridors for?" His father hissed between his teeth. Jefferson didn't care if he was heard. He wanted to be heard. He waited for this day his entire life. The day when his father would teach him how to use the family legacy should have been a glorious, magic and happy one. It was nothing like that in the real world, only a bitter feeling was left.

"Why aren't you my teacher? I always thought it will be—"

"Don't be so ridiculous, I don't have time for you and even if I had, the choice isn't mine."

"What do you mean?"

"When you'll be older, you'll understand the matter of deals. You have to serve Rumplestilskin, that's all you need to know." And he left as if the conversation was over. It was over. Jefferson just wasn't ready for it.

He didn't go back to the ball, didn't dance with some girly idiot and instead went for the Hat room. It was the only room he never saw so he was curious. There was nothing special in it but the Hat. He didn't look for anything else anyway. All the magic, all the power… Jefferson opened the box and touched it. There it was. He never saw anything more perfect.

He heard a sound.

He looked around but nothing moved. He waited. No more sound. He went back to his contemplation. He had no idea how the magic object worked and he didn't dare to experiment. It would be a challenge. It would be audacious. Stupid.

"The mouse lost itself."

Jefferson jumped and tried to hide the Hat, in vain. The Crocodile was there and walked closer with an frightening smile on his face.

"I didn't expect our first lesson so soon."

_"__Don't tell my father, Sir"_ was the first thing he thought but he was way too proud to beg. Instead, he said "I couldn't wait." The dare in his voice surprised him as well. It was the magic in the Hat. All the power in it. How good would it feel when he would use it? The thought of it made him shiver.

"Well, you're sure like your mother."

Jefferson forgot everything for a moment. "You knew my mother?" The question sounds like a fragile breathe. He didn't care for now.

"Indeed." He didn't elaborate. He turned around the young man, eyes went up and down. "I was right, you don't look like it but there is more magic in you that it should." Jefferson didn't understand what the man was talking about but it sounds positive.

"Can we start?" He asked when he realized _Rumplesomething_ wouldn't say anything else about his dead mother. "_Please?_" The dare in the voice again. The man made one more circle around Jefferson before he giggled. He was ridiculous but majestic. Disturbing. Annoying. "Well? Didn't you implied I was ready for it?"

"Cocky. I like it. You'll go places, boy."

"Don't call me that. I'm not a child anymore." Jefferson corrected him as he did with his father. He didn't sound so petulant this time at least.

The _Rumplething_ smirked, "Are you sure about that?"

"Let's find out." Jefferson handed him the Hat and raised an eyebrow.

Rumplechinskin looked him a while. He had this way to make you uncomfortable, really… "There are so many things you'll do for me…" He whispered with something in the voice. Jefferson couldn't quite put a finger on what it was but it felt… _human_. It felt _real_. He suddenly realized nothing was real before his sixteenth birthday. Everything was just… a reflection. He found freedom for the first time in his life. He wasn't just a child in a castle. He was a Realm Jumper. He would be once the Hat would allow him to.

The Hat vibrated. "Oh. What was that?" Rumplestithing asked with a thrilling voice "It seems like you find your switch. Pretty impressive!"

_This object will show you some wonders._

"How can I get it to work?"

"How would I know? It is yours." His gesture was ridiculous as he said it, his index right to his chest, his heart.

Who the hell was this man? "Excuse me? Aren't you my tutor?"

"I can tell you about the power of your bloodline. I can tell you what your switch is. But the bond between you and this," he patted the Hat, "I can't interfere; only you can hear its song."

_The song of the Hat._

As curious as it seemed, it made sense. Jefferson heard the voice of the Hat this morning. Tonight, he wanted to hear it again. It would make it feel free again. He would jump in the hat and slide on its curves. He would feel the magic of it in his veins every time he would use it. They would whirl together in the wind between time and space.

"Between time and space…" he said out loud. It didn't make any sense this morning.

Now it did.

Jefferson played with the Hat. His hands embraced the curves, his fingers caressed the silk, his skin prickled against the magic and soon he danced with it. A purple mist came out of the hole and when his hand touched, it was exhilarating. With a calculating move, he twirled it as if he was dancing with a woman, he extended his arm and let the Hat flowed on the floor. It melted with the ground and the hole grew wider and wider. Jefferson sighed. All the magic in the room… it was like the first breath he ever took.

"Wonderful dearie. It's time to jump now."

"Jump? Now? Without knowing where it leads?" Rumple nodded. "Someone already told you that you were a mad man?"

Rumple laughed as if Jefferson told him the biggest joke in the universe, "If you only knew!" He didn't want to know, really but he smirked despite of himself. He was starting to like the Crocodile. Perhaps he was the one going mad.

Jefferson jumped in the black hole.

And the lagoon caught him.

Jefferson never learned how to swim. He hated the lake behind the castle because the servants told him his mother drowned in it. He didn't want to learn how to swim because he was afraid he would enjoy it. He couldn't let himself enjoy such a dangerous thing.

He screamed for help but the water swallowed his voice. He could almost see the sound formed a bubble. He did it again but no one would hear him. It was the way of his life. No one ever listen.

The Hat appeared in the corner of his eye. It stopped twirling and was coming up to surface. Jefferson reached for it and when he caught it, he tried to make it work again before he drowned. It didn't work. Why didn't it work? It had to work.

Nothing came out of the Hat.

Suddenly, something coiled around him. It felt like water except it wasn't. He saw a red flash in the blue lagoon. He didn't know what it was until he heard the song. It wasn't the Hat this time. He was pulled to the surface. He tried to keep the oxygen in his lungs but he couldn't. He suffocated. He held the Hat tighter. When he breathed again, he tried to get free but what helped him didn't let go until he could reach a rock. He went out of the water as if it was a blazing inferno. He stood up on the rock and looked around him.

Jefferson saw the trees touching the sky and the leafs on fire, he felt the nice breeze, and he heard magic love songs coming from the lagoon… but there was only one thing he was paying attention: the mermaid which just saved his life.

"You are a rude human." Her voice was a song. He started to think he heard things that weren't real. Now he thought about it, a hat can't sing for him either… "I just saved your life and you are as silent as a carp." Jefferson opened his mouth but nothing came out. He never saw a mermaid before. He wasn't touching her anymore but he still felt the magic inside her body, against his own.

"Maybe he doesn't speak!" a childish voice mocked above him. He looked up. A boy was flying higher, between the orange and red leafs.

"I know how to speak!"

"You _are_ rude, then. Say something to the lovely lady."

Jefferson didn't think. "Thank you ma'am." And he stared at her again. She was more than beautiful. Magic did that to him. He felt dizzy and everything was like rainbows in his stomach. He hoped he would get rid of it. Rumple would help him with it, he guessed. What else the man could be for if he couldn't help him with that? "Where am I?" he finally asked.

"You don't know? Can you be here if you don't know where you are?" The boy started to get on his nerves.

Jefferson sighed and looked up again; it wasn't something he particularly liked, looking up while he was talking. "I'm a traveler but it's the Hat which chooses where I should land." He answered to the boy which went down. He was smaller than him, younger..

"A _Hat_? I thought you flew!" He seemed really confused, a little sad too.

"No, I was— wait a minute, who are you?"

The boy laughed and his feet finally touched the rock he was standing on. "My name is Killian Jones. I rule Neverland." The word _rule_ made Jefferson smirked.

"Is that so? A little man like you?"

Something heavy hit the back of his head _very_ hard. He hissed in pain and turned to see the mermaid's innocent eyes. The young Jones burst out laughing. Jefferson wasn't impressed anymore. When the boy stopped mocking him, he flew around him again like a mosquito. "I still don't know _your _name."

"My name is Jefferson. I'm a Realm Jumper."

Then it hit him. Not a random rock, the _truth_ hit him. Jefferson used the Hat. It was what he always dreamt of. Travelling. Between time and space.

He was _free_.

"Wow, it sounds dangerous! Have you stories to tell to the Lost Boys? It's been ages since they didn't have any storyteller!"

Jefferson shrugged awkwardly and went tight-lipped. "Well… it was the first time I jumped in the Hat so…" The idea of telling tales about himself pleased him, though. "I will come back after my adventures and I will tell you about them." The suggestion seemed to please Jones, greatly, because the boy made circles around him and hugs him. Jefferson wasn't used to the warmth of another human being around him.

"Yes! I love stories!" Jefferson smiled proudly to himself. The mermaid yawned to point her boredom out to them.

Jones showed him a lot of Neverland. He learned about mermaids, fairies, Indians and pirates. The _pirates_ part was thrilling and appealing. He said to him that time doesn't work in Neverland. It seemed like it was eternal falls only. Jefferson found it more than great.

The young boy had something in the eyes. Something so beautiful Jefferson was jealous. It was light which seemed never fade even when Jefferson asked stupid questions about fairies or when Jones lost at one of the games they played together. Jefferson was good in hide and seek, Anna couldn't find him and she tried really hard. Jones wasn't half good. He just… beams with innocence and so much joy. He couldn't stay still for one entire minute. You would think that the boy knew how be patient in a world where time didn't exist. No. Killian Jones never waited, was always the first, always the one who was right. And every creature in the land trusted him, believed in him even, and Jefferson was mesmerized himself. Jones' eyes were on the horizon and you could feel how proud he was of Neverland. He literally own the place, _him_, the boy with sloppy clothes who had nothing, no money, no castle, no ownership, nothing! He still stood on the skull rock and knew everywhere he lay a look, it was his _home_. Jefferson never felt this way. He looked down at his reflection in the water and he didn't see the light.

The Lost Boy was younger than him but they knew how to play. They didn't cry when they fell. They didn't scream when they lost a toy. Everything was a toy. One of the boys wanted to play with his Hat. He didn't let him. Instead, he took him on his knees while they ate and told him fantasy about pirates and mermaids in epic battle for the skull rock. Jefferson has been told he was wrong but the little boy asked him more of it.

The food was abstract. Everything in Neverland couldn't exist without imagination. It feed them all. The thought of an apple gave him an apple which he ate. It made sense, how could they lived without any servants otherwise?

Jefferson didn't know how many time he spent in there but he felt like days. He didn't want to go back home. His father would be angry at him because he used the Hat alone. Well, it was only Rumplething's fault, after all! Anyways, he was happy in Neverland. While should he leave?

"Give me fairy dust, anything!" he asked with excitement. The lost boy was still asleep, Jones was always the first to wake up. Jefferson just didn't want to miss any adventure he lived. He followed him, climbed in the trees even if he knew that his neck would break if he ever fell.

Jones gave him a look. Jefferson clarified. "Teach me how to fly."

When the flying thing was mentioned, it wasn't so funny anymore, though. The boy said it as an apology, which was even more annoying, "You can't fly."

"What do you mean? _You_ can." Jefferson pointed out the obvious. Jones smirked at that.

"I'm flying because I'm not a grownup. I will never be. _Ever._ I don't want to!" His words were always filled with a fierce passion. It was exhausting.

The concept turned around his head. "Well, I won't either… if I stay here."

The boy shook his head. "No, no, no, you have to travel! Hop in your hat and come back so you can tell me about your adventures!" And it was all Jefferson always dreamt of but he couldn't help but feel rejected. He didn't want to be like his father. He wanted the Hat because he knew he could do something different with it. Storyteller was great, yes, but he needed more. Magic was everywhere in this place. Neverland could be home…

It wouldn't be all heavy walls and no breath.

"What if I stayed?"

"You can't."

"We can have adventures together, playing sword fighting with pirates, I could learn to swim with the mermaids, I—"

"No, you can't."

"WHY NOT?" Jefferson yelled at Jones but he couldn't help it. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to stay here with his friend. He didn't have any friends. Never had.

"You are too old."

"I'm sixteen, moron. It's not too old."

"You are in Neverland. Grownups become pirates. I don't want us to be enemies."

"What is wrong with being a pirate?"

The question shouldn't have crossed his lips, obviously, because Jones became red. "Are you mad? They are ugly and cruel!"

"Well— you are too!" Jefferson felt stupid. It was the most childish thing he ever said. Anna would be there, she rolled her eyes to him.

"I'm tired of you! Just— hop in your damn Hat and never come back again! Or become a pirate and I will be happy to kill you with my sword!"

"Stop saying _hop_, I'm not _hopping_ in the Hat, it's called Realm Jumping!"

"Whatever! You know why you can't fly? It's because you're not a child anymore!"

It was the worst insult ever to Jones. Jefferson didn't answer. He twirled his hat and this time, it worked. He restrained raging tears. He wouldn't cry. He jumped in the hole – didn't _hop_, okay? – and found himself in the Hat room again. Rumple was waiting for him as if he just left.

"I'm not a child anymore." Jefferson whispered. Rumple patted his shoulder with a little smile. It wasn't a smirk or something cruel or cocky. Just a smile. His father never gave him a little smile. "I'm not a child anymore…" he said again.

"You can be whatever you want from now." Rumple said and his voice wasn't singing anymore but it was okay, it sounded nice. "I'll teach you to be whatever you want to be. As long as you're giving me what I want." Jefferson gave him a quizzical look. The Crocodile only smiled again.

The young man looked down when he felt tears on his cheeks. "I want to be a pirate." He mumbled. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to be a pirate."

Jefferson could do that.


	2. Don't trust me

**Title:** How Do These Hearts Unfold?

**Fandom:** Once Upon A Time

**Pairing:** MadHook (Killian/Jefferson)

**Genre:** 5times, humor, timeline.

**Summary:** Jefferson felt like he lived many different lives in many different realms. As he changed in every point in his lifetime, there was this man who did the same, going in the opposite direction.

**Disclamer:** I don't own OUAT, I only miss Sebastian Stan and Jefferson and dream about a Jefferson/Killian meeting.

**Notes:**

- 5times when Jefferson met Hook.

- It was meant to be 5ficlets but I was inspired…

- Based on "How Do These Hearts Unfold" by Raised by Swans.

**How Do These Hearts Unfold?**

**02. **_They were pirates and were devoured by ambition. _

The Land of Oz was one of these worlds he rather not to be in. Jefferson wasn't sure Rumple knew how tiresome it was to jump in a world full of people who knew about _the Hatter_ and could kill him – or worst – if it meant putting their hand on his magic Hat. Perhaps he couldn't care less – such a responsible tutor, after all.

Jefferson didn't grow up lazy – well, he happened to appreciate doing nothing in the castle for days but Rumple loved to bother him in these peaceful moments – but running for his life wasn't his favorite way to spend the day.

This particular day wasn't an exception by far. The worst part of this story was that it shouldn't have happened… No, the worst part was probably that he knew Rumple planed a new act for him once returned to the castle. Something sneaky and mean Jefferson – didn't care – had to be a part of. When could he enjoy himself with all his homework?

Speaking of homework, he should have listened more carefully last time his tutor told him about ropes and how important it was to get rid of those. In exceptional circumstances, he could have enjoyed some bondage games but right now he couldn't wait to jump in his Hat and go home. The person to blame for this unfortunate situation was unknown. He hated when people attacked him from behind. It was not gentlemanly. Especially when he was on a business trip.

The Hat. He didn't feel the weight of it in the top of his head. A rush of panic shook him.

"Hatter. It's been a while. You are not an easy man to find."

Jefferson noted the accent. He looked up. A pirate. He was pretty sure he never irritated any pirate in his entire life – he respected them, in contrary. It was a stupid thing to do – they always acted so revengeful, it was boring! – and he was not a man to do stupid things… Well, maybe once a month. The man had the Hat on his left hand. When he put it on his head, Jefferson saw it was more like his left _hook_. Nope. Definitely unknown. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" He said it with the greatest respect but the pirate still slapped him with the back of his hand. Jefferson used to see only good parts of his adventures. Right now, he felt grateful the pirate didn't use his hook. However… a slap? Seriously? What about a punch? It was insulting, he was not that fragile. "I didn't quite catch your name. Can you repeat it, please?" _That_ was a punch, thank you. He felt manlier now.

Jefferson stretched his jaw and licked his lips. Blood. Nothing new here. He went through far worst. As long as nobody tried to cook him, he would be fine… The man might he be a cannibalistic one? He hoped not.

The pirate looked down at him and Jefferson raised one eyebrow. A moment after, he sighed. He was about to suggest to stop this savagery and drink a cup of tea. Everything was far better with tea, even torture. They could do this later. His thoughts were broke off by the man's laugh. What was so funny? Did he actually say all of this out loud?

"Why don't you tell me how to use your precious Hat so I can _hop_ for a better world?"

"It's not _hopping_ moron, It's called—" He stopped in the middle of his sentence. He never did that but the moment was quite tense. The quaint speaking, the self-esteem that overflowed from his entire body and his inability to say realm _jumping_— now he recalled the pirate. The _pirate_.

_Hypocritical child!_

"Jones?" Suddenly he remembered how to untie himself. He would do that and _punch_ the man right in the face in a moment. Just wait.

"Your brain still works. Good. Now tell me." Jones leaned down and his cold hook prickled the skin of Jefferson's chin. He gulped. "How can I get it to work?"

Jefferson couldn't help but laugh at the irony, "You can't." He didn't even know he was waiting for this moment until now. "You _can't_!" Jones raised one eyebrow – now that he really looked, Jones did weird things with his face – and his hook scratched the skin more. Jefferson hissed but his smirk didn't disappear. "Where do you want to go anyway? I thought Neverland was the most marvelous land I would ever see."

The pirate groaned. "It is none of your business, Hatter." Jefferson betted it was something about his missing hand. Pirates were like this, they ran after what they lost. He did it himself. He wanted more than old parts of himself, though.

However, the man obviously wasn't well informed. "You call me _Hatter_. You know what I do, then. You know that whatever you want to do with my Hat, it _is_ my business." He loved being wanted, made his life more exciting. Except he had a mission, he wasn't in Oz for his own pleasure.

"I want you to bring me to your master."

The idea danced in Jefferson's mind. He almost snickered at the realization of who that could be.

"My _master_?" and the words sounded so ludicrous in his own mouth he guffawed anyway. The hook, though, – so close of his Adam's apple – reminded him of the seriousness of his situation. "Well, I guess a meeting can be arranged." He didn't know why on earth Rumple decided, one day, to offend a pirate. _And_ he didn't care; the old man could definitely deal with his problems himself.

Finally, the hook wasn't threatening anymore. "What a loyal man." The irony didn't make Jefferson laugh. He could teach him a few things about what a good sense of humor should be. Jones huffed as the Hatter remained deadpan and looked for a knife to cut the ropes. Jefferson already got rid of them so he didn't wait to stand himself.

"Quit insulting me. You want to commit a suicide. Who am I to rob you of your free will?" The two men shared glances. Jones handed him the magic object. Jefferson snatched it from his grip and checked his precious Hat. Still a perfect shape. Wonderful. "Rumple is _not_ my master. We are partners."

Jones snorted. "Don't give me reasons to kill you." Jefferson stopped dusting off the Hat and looked at the pirate. Did he really think it was that easy to kill him? A wry smile appeared on Jones' face. "Fear not, old friend, I won't kill you. Unless you double cross me, of course."

Jefferson went tight-lipped at the threat. Sure he would double cross the pirate. The Hat wouldn't accept two jumpers as only one step in this world in the first place. The Hat's rule. Although he thought about sharing this knowledge, he didn't. It would be useless… or painful. This kind of information never pleased his customers. He answered "We are not friends." instead and showed him a smile expressing his animosity.

Jones shrugged. "Fine by me." Jefferson nodded. Something buzzed inside of him, though. It was an old mosquito bite he didn't know was on his chest. He scratched it but it was worst. He turned his back and took a breath before he walked to his goal. He was about to move forward but was _hooked_up by his coat. He _hated_ when people did that. "Where do you think you're going?"

"In case it wasn't obvious, I am not in this land to meet an _old friend_. I'm actually here for business." He made an ample gesture and his Hat rolled on his shoulders and went right on his head. Jones did his thing with his eyebrows – not impressed. Jefferson started walking again but the hook stayed in his collar and pulled. "Stop. Doing_. This!_" He hissed between his teeth.

"Well, you are a hostage, can you at least act like one? We're going to the Crocodile. _Now_." What a _cunt_.

Jefferson sighed loudly and extricated himself from the grip. "You need me to get the Hat to work, right? And I will. Once I have what I came for." He waited for Jones to mean he agreed with the condition. The man only gave him a wary look. It would do.

They walked a long time in the Black Forest of the Winkie Country – and it _felt_ like an eternity. Fortunately, the Castle of the Wicked Witch of the West was near. Frankenstein told him she wasn't in it for the day; he hoped the man didn't lie because that would be— "What do you look for? There is nothing here but… threes and dust." Jones made this trip very, _very_ long. Jefferson liked to travel alone for one reason. He remembered what it was.

He sighed, very annoyed. "Trust me you don't need to know."

"Come on! Share your quest with me." Jefferson walked faster. "We could be a team. Isn't it what you wanted the last time you see me?" Jones patted his shoulder. He was all smiling and friendly and it was unnerving.

"I travel alone. I like it this way."

"What is the point in having adventures if you have no one to share them with?"

Jefferson liked to be alone in his adventures. What was the point in having a mosquito around him in every land? As he wasn't the one with the hook, he merely said in reply "You are the one to talk."

Jones' face went darker. "It's nothing like an adventure. More like… an unfinished business."

The bitterness in his voice was predictable but yet intriguing. Jefferson looked at him. He wasn't the boy he knew once. No light in his eyes, only hatred. What a shame. Jones has been for a long time what he wished to reach in his sleep, before his father's death. Freedom and pride. He found it in this life of piracy. He stole trinkets and was paid for his job. He was banished from lands because of that. No one ever arrested him because of the Dark One. Freedom had a price. He was told that magic came with a price too.

For now, he was a king in his own kingdom.

Jefferson didn't sound empathetic when he shrugged, "You should take a fresh start because what you want to accomplish… It won't happen." He actually didn't care. Maybe Jones snapped or something because a rock was suddenly attacking the Hatter's head. He thought about the Hat which fell on the dirty ground. Well, if it stayed where it was until the pirate's mood lighted, it would be lovely.

Jefferson's cheek was grazed by the stone as he was kept against the rock. "You are exactly like this time in Neverland, huh? Still a petulant child." Jones' breath tickled as he kept him there with the weight of his body. Jefferson decided it was wiser not to move. He knew this kind of beast. He was a predator too. "Look at you, you don't know what life is, what _being in pain_ means…" his voice was deep in his ear – it made Jefferson uncomfortable – but turned in a light breath when he added "what losing someone means…" Then something changed in the way he held him. He whispered "Yet." He stepped away and groaned. Jefferson took the Hat on the floor and dusted it off, as a bad habit. The pirate stayed silent as he watched him.

"I never had anyone to lose." Where this came from, he didn't know himself. He looked up and saw something in Jones' eyes. It was something he never saw there – not that he knew the man very well but… It was so real. It was disturbing, it was new and— No one ever looked at him like— _that_.

What was _that_?

Jefferson cleared his throat and regained his composure. "I'm going to stole two precious objects. I'm going to take them from a witch. It will be dangerous. Witches, you know. Oz is full of those." They were like pirates, never forgot a face, a bet, a debt. Maybe she knew he was coming but he liked the challenge. This time, he wasn't alone. He could find something to do with this insistent mosquito.

Jones huffed. "Let me tell you this: when you dealt with sea witches, everything else is like kitten."

"She is more like a…" he thought hard, trying to find a good comparative but she was the scariest thing he ever faced. "Cerberus."

"Sounds beautiful and deadly to me. Like my girls." The pirate winked. Women must find the way he did this kind of things attractive. It had to be tiresome to do those all the time.

Jefferson sighed, again, because explaining things from other worlds was really a waste of his time "A big… angry… beast with… huh" he indicated his jaw with whirl of the wrist "sharp teeth."

His companion gave him a skeptical look. "You still don't know how to tell your stories, huh?" The Hatter only made a dismissive gesture, and then he tilted. He didn't remember telling any stories to him.

"When did I—"

A howl interrupted him.

He felt his eyes opened like never before. His face must show how much he was afraid because Jones seemed unsure. "What was that?"

"Teeth. Definitely teeth. _Sharp_teeth." He thought fast. The howl wasn't _that_ near… maybe the wolf wasn't after them… As long as there was no Winged Monkey around too, they would be fine.

"Aren't you a traveler? Stop trembling, you're embarrassing yourself."

"Can you stop being manly and stupid for a short minute only, _please_? You have no idea where you are, do you?"

"I'm here because I needed to find you so you would bring me to Rumplestiltskin. If you are that scared, maybe we could finally hop in your hat and—"

"Stop saying _hop_!"

A howl again. Nearer. It wasn't good. Something. Fast. "How did you get in the Land of Oz anyway?"

"_Now_ you want to share secrets about worlds travel?"

"My Hat can't get us in the Castle, there is a protective spell or something, but maybe _your_ way to travel can."

"Sorry lad. It's not going to happen. I don't trust you enough. Not today."

Good, the man was not as stupid as he thought he was. It could be helpful once the pirate would be in Oz by himself. Jefferson almost felt guilty._Almost_. "Fair enough." He twirled the Hat once, twice, and pushed his whole arm in the purple fog. Jones watched him in awe. Jefferson searched in the inside of his Hat and then _pulled_. An ark and a quiver. Magic was still around them when he heard something cracked in his back. His Hat on top of his head and the quiver around him, he pulled an arrow from it and fired. Just a squirrel fell from a tree. At least, he didn't lose his skill. His father urged him every year to take part of the hunting season.

"Do you try to impress me?" Jones asked with a laugh.

Jefferson looked at him in disbelief. "Why would I do that?" Because, really, why would he want that?

The pirate raised his eyebrows and showed a fake serious face. "Do you?"

"No!" He didn't have time to play games. He wanted to find these damn shoes.

Jones shrugged and smirked. "Fine." They looked at each other for an awkward moment until another howl made Jefferson shiver.

"We can't stay here. The faster we will get to the Castle the faster we will be out of this place." He didn't wait for his companion to walk beside him for shooting off.

"You don't like this land, huh?"

"Nobody like this place, moron: witches ruled the land." Jones knew nothing, it was appalling.

"You know, it is not because we met before you can talk to me the way you do. You still are a hostage." Jefferson rolled his eyes but had the politeness not to sigh this time. "You are not afraid of me." There was an ingenuous curiosity in this statement. It seemed like the man was really _that_ self-confident. The Hatter didn't intend to answer but he insisted. "What scares you that much in this forest?"

Jefferson stopped and made a face. "Can we skip the, uh, _talking_ and do more of the – you know – _walking_?" He made motions with his hands so the stupid man who was following him could understand the words. "Chop chop." he added. Maybe he played with his life but he hated to have this kind of obstacle in his way.

The road made a fork, one way to the castle, another to the Winkie River. Jones already headed to the first as Jefferson stepped on the other way. The hook found its way to the collar of the Hatter's coat once again. This time, Jefferson was too disabused for complaining.

Jones didn't pull, though. "The castle is in the other direction." Even if he said this, he sounded intrigued by his choice and didn't try to tell the Hatter he was wrong.

Jefferson raised his left hand and showed him his fingers as he enumerated "Werewolves, bees, Winkies" he dropped his arm and let an annoyed frown showed up "are in this very same direction. We don't want to go there."

"Do we?"

"Trust me."

"That's a lot to ask, mate."

"Don't call me that, we are not friends."

A smirk. "My point exactly… _mate_." Jones loved to get on his nerves. Jefferson would love to try himself if he didn't fear to get chewed by sharp teeth. Or if there was any chance they could actually befriend.

He didn't need to think to this part. "Someone told me about tunnels under the castle."

"Can we trust this _someone_ you speak of?" Once again, even if he said so, he walked by his side on this road.

Frankenstein was an eternal skeptic. While Jefferson usually scorned those, the man was deserving of believing in something as wonderful as magic. The man wasn't his favorite customer but he could be trusted.

That, and Rumple told him the witch had this irrational weak spot for the rather unorthodox wizard. "Well, if he lied, the wicked witch is waiting for us so we can drink a cup of tea. Oops. Forget I said that. The tea party— tea _part_."

"Tea, huh? Could you be any less manly than that?"

"Yes, I actually can because tea is the best thing I ever tasted. Nothing to do with being manly." Jones did his thing with the eyebrow but remained silent. A good thing, if you asked Jefferson. "Anyway, it's almost tea time."

"I'm sure this goal will help you to walk faster…"

"Tea makes everything better and this day was particularly awful."

Jefferson left the road and went into the forest. He skillfully slid on the steep incline. There was a mouth of a cave down there. He invited his companion to follow him. Jones joined him with the same grace. They shared a smug look before they headed for the cave. It was pretty dark inside. They walked a moment without knowing where to go. Jefferson stumbled on a rock and hissed as his knees hit the stony ground. He swore at Jones' laugh. He heard the sound of leather and right after, Jones blew on Fairy Dust. It dissipated on the wall. Soon, the entire cavern was glowing. The smug smile on Jones' face got on his nerves. He didn't show it.

"I'm surprised you don't fly."

The pirate's smile disappeared. He groaned as he kept walking. They saw a crack ahead and they tried to go through in the same time. Jefferson sighed. They tried again and bumped into each other, _again_. "You are impossible." said Jones. Jefferson would shrug if he could. He forced his way in and they fell on the ground together. The darkness was palpable because the fairy dust didn't work in it. It was a curious thing and Jefferson knew it would mean nothing good. He was about to share his thoughts when the wall glowed. He glared at Jones with a dry look. The man raised one eyebrow. "What?" Jefferson opened his mouth but no word came out. He heard something… above… Jones did too because they looked up, slowly, in one single move. He sounded surprised and maybe scared "Bats…" He should be scared at least. They weren't bats. They were huge monsters with no heart. They were animals with fangs and claws. They were _huge_ and _hostile_ and… Jefferson and Jones were standing right in their nest.

Jefferson swallowed and whispered "Far worse than that. Winged Monkeys." The sound of his voice woke them up. "Run." and for the first time, Jones didn't argue. They rushed another crack deeper in the chamber as the monkey woke up and started to notice the intruders. They dangerously went closer. The adventurers got stuck in the fissure.

"Stop being childish and step back!" Jones hissed.

"Why don't you do that yourself?" snapped Jefferson back. How did he end up here? Oh, yes, Rumple. This man was very good when it came to get him in troubles.

A wild howl and something gripped Jefferson by the collar of his coat. His blood rushed in his heart in a pound as it left his face. Jones stepped in the crack. Jefferson found himself on the ground with an angry pennaceous primate which roared at his face. The beast had a very bad breath. It reminded him of the last time someone tried to cook him. The memory wasn't his favorite. He coughed a couple of time and thought about his last words, a person who is going to miss him... Nothing and no one came to his mind. It was kind of sad, actually…

The baboon was about to eat his head when a sword killed it. Jefferson extricated himself from the weight and quickly stood up. He looked at Jones. The pirate seemed as surprised as him. More grunts above them. Jefferson picked up his Hat but didn't take the time to dust it off. They nodded at each other and rushed to the crack again. This time, Jefferson let Jones go first. They ran a moment in the tunnels. The winged monkeys were behind them, he could hear the sound of their claws gripping the stone.

Jones was out of breath when he asked, as a rhetorical question "These tunnels never end?" and by some miracle, they found a golden door after a last bend. Jefferson opened it and they went out of the cavern. The Winged Monkeys were fast and came very quickly to them but they closed the door. They must have hit the door pretty hard because it almost gave away. Jefferson and Jones heard some bemoans in the other side.

Jefferson took a deep breath and leaned against the golden door in relief. "I hate Winged Monkeys."

"Well, we won't trust your sources next time."

The Hatter looked up and stared at the man who saved his life. There wouldn't be a _next time_ for them. He could admit he felt guilty at some point. He still didn't thank him for this rescue. The idea of other adventures with a companion was appealing, though. It shouldn't be. Rumple wouldn't agree with him having a pet – a murderous one on top of that.

"What now?" There was something in Jones' voice. He was enjoying the events, the adrenaline and the feeling of having a partner too.

Jefferson cleared his throat, stood straight and looked at the room they were in. Exactly what he looked for. "Now I take what I came for."

They were in a blue room with mirrors. They were like eyes on the entire countries, showing every little move. That was how the witch could see her enemies coming. Jefferson was glad she wasn't in her castle she would have kill them way before they reached the cave otherwise. In the middle of the room was a table with a crystal ball on it. When Jefferson took it and put it his bag, the mirrors didn't show anything anymore. "That's it?" Jones asked. Jefferson didn't answer and headed to another room. Rumple wanted the enchanted slippers. He didn't like those. Only for one passenger. Too many turbulences. The Seven-league boots were the same kind of wild stuff. The Hat was far more enjoyable.

The Hatter looked everywhere in the room but the shoes were nowhere. Rumple won't be happy. "What are you looking for? I can actually help you with that." Jones was getting impatient and Jefferson was focused on his search so he gave in.

"Magic slippers. Red. Don't remember how people called it. They just glow with a red light. It's ugly and boring."

"There is a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms." Jefferson looked up in disbelief. "What? I visited the place, you weren't fun anymore! And I found the jewelry."

"Good for you." Jefferson returned to his searches. And do you actually think a precious object like this could be left in a wardrobe? With useless and stupid girly things? Really?" He looked up again when he didn't hear any answer. It was weird. He went in the corridors. A hook came outside a room with red shoes suspending to it. The Pirate showed them as a trophy.

"Are they red and ugly and glowing?" Jefferson glared. "You know what they usually are too? In wardrobes." Jones threw the shoes at him. "We make a good team, don't you think?" His smile was beaming, like when he was a boy.

Jefferson smirked and tried to hide it. "Stop talking."

"Now that we have your ball and your shoes, can we hop in this Hat of yours?"

Jefferson's blood turned cold in his veins. An unsettling silence took over and when he opened his mouth to talk, he _heard_ the words getting stuck in it. "I… I can't." His shoulders tensed. He watched his companion with apprehension.

Jones stared back. You could see surprise and anxiety on his face. "What do you mean… _you can't_?" He asked the question but they both knew what the Hatter was talking about.

Jefferson tried again. "The Hat, it… You— I'm sorry." The oxygen left his lungs. He didn't know why the words were so rough, why the air was so dense he couldn't even swallow them. They were stuck in his throat.

"You are… _sorry_?" His voice was so loud all the sudden. His eyes were filled with dismay by the meaning of the words he just heard.

Jefferson looked down. "The Hat's rules." was the only argument he could say. It wasn't an argument, it was the way of things, he knew from the start that Jones would be trapped in the end. "One in… one out." He knew. He didn't care.

The pirate took him by the coat and pulled. His hook was close to Jefferson's mouth. "I saved your life!"

He sighed a weak "I know." and tried to swallow it again. He knew, yes, and he didn't _care_.

Did he?

Jones yelled at him in despair, trying to figure out where things went wrong. They didn't go wrong. They weren't right from the beginning. "And you lead me right in hell anyway?"

Yes. It didn't matter.

Jones looked at him like if it was the first time. Jefferson didn't show it but he felt miserable. After a long moment, the pirate let him go and stepped away from him. If there still was this light he wanted to catch when he was a boy, there was nothing left but a shadow now. It gave him the need to run far, _far_ away from himself and never find his humanity again. He didn't even know he had this kind of compassion in him. What did people have the ability to feel this way for another human being for? It didn't make sense. Everybody was so… _selfish_.

"The man you are now… I hate him. I should kill you now but" Jones breathed in and took another step back. "I know you from another time." Jefferson considered the words which did and didn't make sense in the same time. The Hat could travel _between time and space_. He would like to never see him again, never feel this guilt in his chest again. _Ever_. "You can be sure, though… the next time we will meet, I will show you no mercy."

Jefferson thought quickly. They shared a look. Then, he threw the slippers to his feet. The pirate raised one eyebrow. No trust in his eyes, only hatred. Jefferson could do that. He was used to this kind of feeling, it wasn't so unnerving anymore. So he smirked as he always did, with self-confidence and self-satisfaction. He thought about tea and everything was alright again. He didn't have the shoes but he didn't care at all. Rumple would never know.

"You can travel with those."

"What makes you think I can't travel by myself?"

"You seem pretty upset for a man who can go wherever he wants to go."

The Hatter made a curtsey to the pirate and reached for a window. He twirled his Hat, let it fall and jumped.

He returned to Rumple's Castle and he acted as Rumple wanted him to. He gave him the crystal ball and said the slippers were already gone. He played with the queen. She was gorgeous but – stupid – in love. He did what Rumple wanted him to do. He always did that. It was their deal. He felt unsafe about the lie he told him and hoped his tutor would never find out. Or he would kill him, for sure.

Jefferson stepped in the workshop because he was looking for a spell which could help him in his next work. The Crocodile taught him a lot of things. He could go in and out the workshop, even if Rumple didn't like that.

Rumple was spinning straw into gold, as he always did when he was bored. "You did a good job with the queen, as always. Thank you for the crystal ball by the way. It is a shame the slippers are lost. I will find another way."

"About that…" Jefferson bit his lip. He regretted to start the conversation but it was too late now, right? "I met someone in the Land of Oz."

"Hum?"

"A pirate. You may know him… Killian Jones?" The spinning wheel stopped. "Does it ring a bell?" It started again, faster. Usually, his tutor wasn't affect by threats of names. What kind of story was the one involving Jones?

Rumple faked ignorance. "Never heard this name before."

"Ah." Jefferson was playing a dangerous game and he didn't even know why. "Well, he sure knew you."

Rumple stopped and turned around. He left his seat and walked closer, suspicious. "Why are we having this conversation?" His smile was a fake one, as always, and Jefferson knew it was a warning.

He made a nonchalant shrug. "I think the Witch might like him, that's all."

"Elphaba loves stubborn things."

Jefferson started to think he did too.

"I don't."

"Good to know"

Jefferson left the workshop. It was tea time. Everything was better with tea. Regrets didn't exist with tea. He had nothing to regret, though. Jones would live after all.


End file.
